Mentor: Elisabeth Moyer, Associate Professor, Atmospheric Science
Rudra Patel is a rising third-year student majoring in Economics and Data Science with a minor in chemistry. He is passionate about data-driven research, particularly in the areas of energy, sustainability, and environmental policy. On campus, he is an active member of the Phoenix Sustainability Initiative, where he works with a team to promote sustainable practices, and the Environmental Research Group, with whom he co-authored a paper on optimal transport in Chicago. He also has a strong personal interest in animal conservation and recently completed an internship with the Illinois Environmental Council, where he assessed the impact of conservation legislation in the Chicago area. This summer, Rudra will be a research assistant for Professor Liz Moyer, contributing to Mapping the Energy Use of the USA.
Rudra was also a finalist in the 2025 Climate Case Competition. Of his experience, he said:
“I did not know agrivoltaics existed… When you see a project like this, you go into the weeds of it, which is what we did. You find so many small, niche things, like, a small change in latitude can change so much. It’s very cool to see the intricate nature of these kinds of places.”